The BBC has struck a landmark deal with four national newspaper groups to share video news on their websites for the first time.

The deal with Daily Mail & General Trust, Guardian News & Media – which publishes MediaGuardian.co.uk – Telegraph Media Group and Independent News & Media has been described as the latest step in the BBC's partnership plans, in which it will share content, expertise and technology in the name of public service.

The BBC is providing a limited range of video news content to Mail Online, guardian.co.uk, Telegraph.co.uk and Independent.co.uk, which will supplement the newspaper websites' own material, in four areas – UK politics, business, health and science and technology.

The BBC also plans to make the same video news content, which is being made available free, to other UK-based news websites but has started with four of the largest newspaper sites.

The BBC made it clear that it has "no intention" of extending the range of content to genres such as entertainment and sport news.

For partner media organisations to use the BBC online video content there must be no advertising – such as pre-roll or post-roll ads – running around any clips. The video shared with partner organisations will carry BBC branding.

All BBC content will appear in a branded video player and the content will be geo-blocked so that it can only be viewed by web users in the UK.

The video news sharing proposal marks a significant shift in relations between the BBC and rival media companies. Newspaper publishers, in particular, have long argued that the BBC has used the public subsidy provided by the licence fee to fund its expansion into digital media areas – such as online video – while commercial companies have not had the financial firepower.

"We regard this initiative as a core part of the BBC working more effectively as a public service partner, with other media organisations utilising BBC news content," said Mark Byford, the deputy director general and head of journalism at the BBC.

"Audiences are increasingly expecting news content to be available wherever they are, rather than always having to navigate to destination sites. We hope this wider distribution will extend audience reach to BBC content. However, we are only providing material already produced on the BBC's news website and restricted to certain core public service genres."